Philippine Merchant Marine Academy (PMMA) is a maritime higher education institution operated by the Philippine government in

San Narciso, Zambales San Narciso, officially the Municipality of San Narciso (; ; sambal language, Sambal: ''Babali nin San Narciso''), is a municipality of the Philippines, municipality in the Philippine Province, province of Zambales, Philippines. According to the ...

. Students are called

midshipmen A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Afric ...

but are often also referred to as

cadet A cadet is a student or trainee within various organisations, primarily in military contexts where individuals undergo training to become commissioned officers. However, several civilian organisations, including civil aviation groups, maritime ...

s. Upon graduation, cadets are commissioned as

ensign Ensign most often refers to: * Ensign (flag), a flag flown on a vessel to indicate nationality * Ensign (rank), a navy (and former army) officer rank Ensign or The Ensign may also refer to: Places * Ensign, Alberta, Alberta, Canada * Ensign, Ka ...

s ( second lieutenants) in the Philippine Navy Reserve and have the option to join the merchant marine, regular force of the

Philippine Navy The Philippine Navy (PN) () is the naval warfare service branch of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. It has an estimated strength of 24,500 active service personnel, including the 10,300-strong Philippine Marine Corps. It operates 91 combat ...

and

Philippine Coast Guard The Philippine Coast Guard (PCG; ) is the third armed uniformed service of the country attached to the Philippines' Department of Transportation, tasked primarily with enforcing laws within Philippine waters, conducting maritime security ope ...

Curriculum

Historical Marker of PMMA Old Site in Intramuros

The academy offers courses for

Bachelor of Science A Bachelor of Science (BS, BSc, B.S., B.Sc., SB, or ScB; from the Latin ') is a bachelor's degree that is awarded for programs that generally last three to five years. The first university to admit a student to the degree of Bachelor of Scienc ...

degrees in

marine transportation Maritime transport (or ocean transport) or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by watercraft has been widely used throughout recorded history, as it pro ...

and

marine engineering Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circ ...

. Both are four-year residency courses consisting of three-years of academic studies (first, second, and fourth years). The one year

apprentice Apprenticeship is a system for training a potential new practitioners of a Tradesman, trade or profession with on-the-job training and often some accompanying study. Apprenticeships may also enable practitioners to gain a license to practice in ...

training (third year) is aboard

commercial vessel A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

s plying the international

sea lane A sea lane, sea road or shipping lane is a regularly used navigable route for large water vessels (ships) on wide waterways such as oceans and large lakes, and is preferably safe, direct and economic. During the Age of Sail, they were determined ...

s as deck or

engine room On a ship, the engine room (ER) is the Compartment (ship), compartment where the machinery for marine propulsion is located. The engine room is generally the largest physical compartment of the machinery space. It houses the vessel's prime move ...

cadets. The academy also offers

master's degree A master's degree (from Latin ) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities or colleges upon completion of a course of study demonstrating mastery or a high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional prac ...

courses in shipping

business management Business administration is the administration of a commercial enterprise. It includes all aspects of overseeing and supervising the business operations of an organization. Overview The administration of a business includes the performance o ...

and maritime education. The student body is referred to as the Corps of Midshipmen, and follows a rigid

seniority Seniority is the state of being older or placed in a higher position of status relative to another individual, group, or organization. For example, one employee may be senior to another either by role or rank (such as a CEO vice a manager), or by ...

system. Each year level is a "class". The fourth-year graduating students are called ''First Class Midshipmen'' (1CL), the third year is ''Second Class Midshipmen'' (''2CL''), the second year is ''Third Class Midshipmen (3CL) ''and the first year is the ''Fourth Class Midshipmen.'' The ''Fourth Class Midshipmen'' are also referred to as ''

plebe In ancient Rome, the plebeians or plebs were the general body of free Roman citizens who were not patricians, as determined by the census, or in other words "commoners". Both classes were hereditary. Etymology The precise origins of the group ...

s'' or ''bugs'', while the other classes are referred to as ''upperclassmen''. Third Class Midshipmen are also called "Tiger of the Corps". Second Class Midshipmen sail around the world on different merchant marine vessels, as per their compliance for a 1-year shipboard training aboard international/ocean-going vessels. They have a rank of Deck Cadet for BSMT Cadets and Engine Cadet for BSMarE Cadets. The First Class Midshipmen are also called "King of The Barracks", "Dragon of the Corps". They aspire to succeed in finishing their 3 years of being a cadet and a graduating class of their year. Aspiring midshipmen must pass the

entrance examination In education, an entrance examination or admission examination is an examination that educational institutions conduct to select prospective students. It may be held at any stage of education, from primary to tertiary, even though it is typica ...

s and rigorous medical and

physical examination In a physical examination, medical examination, clinical examination, or medical checkup, a medical practitioner examines a patient for any possible medical signs or symptoms of a Disease, medical condition. It generally consists of a series of ...

s before admission. For example, males must be at least five feet three inches tall, and females must be at least five feet one inch tall and never have given birth. A long list of diseases, including major orthodontic problems and wearing

glasses Glasses, also known as eyeglasses (American English), spectacles (Commonwealth English), or colloquially as specs, are vision eyewear with clear or tinted lenses mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically u ...

, disqualify both sexes. Successful applicants report to the academy for

orientation Orientation may refer to: Positioning in physical space * Map orientation, the relationship between directions on a map and compass directions * Orientation (housing), the position of a building with respect to the sun, a concept in building des ...

, a month-long period of

indoctrination Indoctrination is the process of inculcating (teaching by repeated instruction) a person or people into an ideology, often avoiding critical analysis. It can refer to a general process of socialization. The term often implies forms of brainwas ...

and training which begins in the approved academic calendar of the following academic year. ''Probationary Midshipmen'' or ''"probies"'' who pass this orientation & indoctrination trainings undertake an

oath Traditionally, an oath (from Old English, Anglo-Saxon ', also a plight) is a utterance, statement of fact or a promise taken by a Sacred, sacrality as a sign of Truth, verity. A common legal substitute for those who object to making sacred oaths ...

-taking

ceremony A ceremony (, ) is a unified ritualistic event with a purpose, usually consisting of a number of artistic components, performed on a special occasion. The word may be of Etruscan language, Etruscan origin, via the Latin . Religious and civil ...

at the end, and are assigned

serial number A serial number (SN) is a unique identifier used to ''uniquely'' identify an item, and is usually assigned incrementally or sequentially. Despite being called serial "numbers", they do not need to be strictly numerical and may contain letters ...

s, given

uniform A uniform is a variety of costume worn by members of an organization while usually participating in that organization's activity. Modern uniforms are most often worn by armed forces and paramilitary organizations such as police, emergency serv ...

s, and incorporated as Fourth Class Midshipmen. The

curriculum In education, a curriculum (; : curriculums or curricula ) is the totality of student experiences that occur in an educational process. The term often refers specifically to a planned sequence of instruction, or to a view of the student's experi ...

involves both

academics Academic means of or related to an academy, an institution learning. Academic or academics may also refer to: * Academic staff, or faculty, teachers or research staff * school of philosophers associated with the Platonic Academy in ancient Greece ...

and

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

-style

leadership Leadership, is defined as the ability of an individual, group, or organization to "", influence, or guide other individuals, teams, or organizations. "Leadership" is a contested term. Specialist literature debates various viewpoints on the co ...

and discipline, aimed at training marine officers to manage coastal and

foreign trade International trade is the exchange of Capital (economics), capital, goods, and Service (economics), services across international borders or territories because there is a need or want of goods or services. (See: World economy.) In most countr ...

, serve as

shipping Freight transport, also referred to as freight forwarding, is the physical process of transporting commodities and merchandise goods and cargo. The term shipping originally referred to transport by sea but in American English, it has been ...

executives, port supervisors, and

marine surveyor A marine surveyor (also referred to as a "yacht & small craft surveyor", "gasoline engine surveyor", diesel engine surveyor", "hull & machinery surveyor" and/or "cargo surveyor") is a person who inspects, surveys, or examines marine vessels in or ...

s, and serve as naval officers in time of war or national emergency. The curriculum follows the guidelines of the 1995

STCW International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) sets minimum qualification standards for masters, officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships and large yachts. STCW was adopt ...

and the Policies, Standards and Guidelines for Maritime Education 1997 set by the Commission on Higher Education. The PMMA is part of the

Luzon Science Consortium The Philippine Science Consortium (PSC), formerly Luzon Science Consortium, was organized by the founding member institutions namely Central Luzon State University (CLSU), Cagayan State University (CSU), and Isabela State University (ISU), known ...

Notable alumni

*Pres. Ferdinand "Bong Bong" Romualdez Marcos Jr.

Honorary Member of PMMA Class 1983 * Marcelo Azcárraga Palmero, Marcelo Azcárraga,

Prime Minister of Spain The prime minister of Spain, officially president of the Government (), is the head of government of Spain. The prime minister nominates the Spanish government departments, ministers and chairs the Council of Ministers (Spain), Council of Mini ...

Román Basa Román Bása (February 29, 1848 – February 6, 1897) was a Filipino patriot who was the second ''Supremo'' or leader of the Katipunan, the secret society which sparked the Philippine Revolution against Spanish rule in 1896. Personal life, educ ...

Katipunan The Katipunan (), officially known as the (; ) and abbreviated as the KKK, was a revolutionary organization founded in 1892 by a group of Filipino nationalists Deodato Arellano, Andrés Bonifacio, Valentin Diaz, Ladislao Diwa, José Dizon, an ...

Supreme Council president *Ponciano Bautista,

Commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (India), in India ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ' ...

PN, Korean War veteran *Reuben Doria, Commodore PCG *

Manuel Earnshaw Manuel Noguera Earnshaw (November 19, 1862 – February 13, 1936) was a Resident Commissioner of the Philippines from 1913 to 1917. Early life and education Earnshaw was born in Cavite, in then Captaincy General of the Philippines, on Novembe ...

, Resident Commissioner of the Philippines *Herby Escutin,

Admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in many navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force. Admiral is ranked above vice admiral and below admiral of ...

PCG *

Joel Garcia Joel or Yoel is a name meaning "Yahweh Is God" in Hebrew and may refer to: * Joel (given name), including a list of people named Joel or Yoel * Joel (surname), a surname * Joel (footballer, born 1904), Joel de Oliveira Monteiro, Brazilian football ...

, Admiral PCG, PCG

Commandant Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...

*Dante Gonzaga, Commodore PN *Victor Jose, Commodore PN, veteran of WWII, Korean and Vietnam Wars *

Juan B. Lacson Juan Bautista Jocson Lacson (May 9, 1898 – June 15, 1992), commonly known as John B. Lacson, was a Filipino sea captain who founded the John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University in Iloilo City, the first private maritime education and train ...

, founder of John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University *Pascual Ledesma, Director of the Navy *

Juan Luna Juan Luna de San Pedro y Novicio (, ; October 25, 1857 – December 7, 1899) was a Filipino painter, sculptor and a political activism, activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th century. He became one of the first recog ...

, artist and diplomatic agent *Carmelo Manzano,

Commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

USCGR, decorated WWII veteran *Rufino Martinez,

Consul General A consul is an official representative of a government who resides in a foreign country to assist and protect citizens of the consul's country, and to promote and facilitate commercial and diplomatic relations between the two countries. A consu ...

Rogelio Morales Rogelio Concepcion Morales (November 5, 1920 – February 19, 1994) was a Filipino master mariner, educator, Navy captain, and activist best known for his role in the transformation of the Nautical School of the Philippines/Philippine Nautical S ...

, PMMA Superintendent *Efigenio Navarro, Brigadier General PC *Gregorio Oca, founder of

Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific The Maritime Academy of Asia and the Pacific (MAAP) is a non-stock, non-profit maritime higher educational institution which is owned, developed and operated by the Associated Marine Officers' and Seamen's Union of the Philippines (AMOSUP). Its ...

*Ernesto Ogbinar, Rear Admiral, Flag Officer in Command PN *Jose Rancudo, Major General, Commanding General PAF *Hilario Ruiz, Rear Admiral, Flag Officer in Command PN *Margarito Sanchez, Rear Admiral PN *

Robert Weilbacher Robert James Weilbacher, Sr. (14 September 1946 – 26 January 2020) was a Micronesian politician and former Governor of Kosrae state. Weilbacher served as the governor of Kosrae from February 2007 until January 2011. Governor Robert James We ...

, Micronesian politician

References

External links

*
Official Facebook Page
{{authority control Universities and colleges in Zambales State universities and colleges in the Philippines Educational institutions established in 1820 Maritime colleges Universities and colleges in Manila Naval academies American established colonial Insular schools of the Philippines

Curriculum

Notable alumni

See also

References

External links